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characteristics of Sturnidae

...with metallic sheen. Some are crested or display wattles or bare patches of skin. They chatter continually while in flight and when roosting, often gathering in spectacular numbers. The widespread
common starling (
Sturnus vulgaris) consumes large numbers of insects but also feeds on grain and small fruits, competing severely with other desirable songbirds. Since their introduction into...

competition with owls

...woodpeckers in large cacti. Intense competition has been observed among nesting birds, including owls, for occupancy of a limited number of nest sites. The invasion of saguaro desert habitats by the European starling (
Sturnus vulgaris) has had a serious effect on small owls and other cactus-dwelling birds. The aggressive and abundant starlings occupy cavities before other species have...

description

any of a number of birds composing most of the family Sturnidae (order Passeriformes), especially
Sturnus vulgaris, a 20-cm (8-inch) chunky iridescent black bird with a long sharp bill. It was introduced from Europe and Asia to most parts of the world (South America excepted). The millions in North America are descendants of 100 birds released in New York City in 1890–91. They...

development of artificial mimicry

In other experiments, starlings (
Sturnus vulgaris) were fed normal mealworms, two segments of which had been painted orange. To provide aposematic “models,” the experimenter made other mealworms distasteful and painted the same segments green. “Mimics” were marked with green but not rendered unpalatable. There is no known instance in nature in which animals employ...

patterns of migration

...and blackbirds (
Turdus merula) are usually sedentary in western Europe; they are usually migratory, however, in northern Europe, where their flights resemble a short migration. Starlings (
Sturnus vulgaris) are sedentary in western Europe, where large numbers gather from eastern Europe. Large flocks also pass the winter in North Africa.

pest

...damage to various small grain crops each year. Other serious pests are the Java sparrow (
Padda oryzivora) in Asian rice fields and mixed flocks of New World blackbirds (
Icteridae) and European starlings (
Sturnus vulgaris) in grainfields in the United States. The same starling and the house sparrow, both introduced to the United States from Europe, have become urban pests by...